Bethany Becker is a seventeen year old recording artist from Austin, TX. She released her debut EP Maybe More in 2014, with the video for the title track recently passing 100,000 You Tube views. Becker was nominated for an HMMA award (Hollywood Music in Media) and was dubbed a new emerging artist by the music biz site Kings of A&R. She took some time to talk about the EP, co-writing with Nashville heavy weights and what's ahead.

Being that you are seventeen, did you know very early that music was what you wanted pursue? I did! It was about when I was seven and realized that I couldn’t be a Disney princess that I decided I wanted to pursue music. I always sang around the house and when I found the Disney channel and saw that everyone on there could sing, I knew I wanted to be a singer. I sang a solo in second grade and then anytime I could sing, I would. Be it in musicals or at church I just wanted to get in front of people and sing as much as I could. I didn’t really start to become serious about it and pursue it professionally though until I was about twelve or thirteen.How do you balance school and a music career? I am home schooled. It was very challenging to go to school, be on the dance team, in the choir and perform in musicals. Trying to do everything was not working in my favor, so I switched to home schooling, which has made it a lot easier. I also have a super supportive family. I have four brothers and two awesome parents who have stuck by my side through everything!When did you start writing? Writing has always appealed to me. When I was little my friends and I tried making up songs with really cute melodies and lyrics. I guess I’ve been trying to write my entire life, but I became serious about it around three years ago.

Is there anyone in particular who you site as an influence either on your writing or singing?

My #1 influence would probably be Taylor Swift. Her music introduced me to country and really helped me fall in love with writing. She’s a pop artist now, but she is still a great writer. I love how honest she is with her fans and how real her music is. She tells her stories so honestly that they really affect those who listen. She’s a big influence for me.

What drew you to country as opposed to pop?

What I really love about country is that the lyrics portray raw emotion and real life. It’s authentic; the stories in the lyrics and music really can make people feel emotions and I think that’s beautiful.

Your EP Maybe More was released in 2014. You co-wrote with Keith Follese, Adrienne Follese and Liz Rose. How did you connect with them?

Well, when I started getting into the industry I worked with AMTC [Actors, Models & Talent for Christ] and through them it was just a string of connections. I was both nervous and excited to work with those writers, but they’re awesome people and just incredible writers! It is so hard to think it’s all real, you know. Half the time I’m like ‘am I gonna wake up?’ It’s a pretty good reality and I feel so blessed.

The single “Maybe More” just passed 100,000 You Tube views, which is just amazing. What is the story behind that song?

All of those views is kinda crazy, I’m still wrapping my head around that one! The story, in a nutshell, is about my first heartbreak. I had gotten really close to a guy friend, we were besties I guess, but then we started growing apart. I really liked him, so it was a really painful experience for me. I really missed him, so I took all of those feelings and combined them with some melody and lyrics from another song I’d written about same person and that combination turned into “Maybe More” and I love it.

The song is very relatable, not just to a young person like yourself, but perhaps older adults as well who may look back on a love.

Thank you so much for saying that because a huge goal of mine with my music is for it to be relatable and something people of all ages can connect to.

What are your professional plans for summer?

I am going to make a video for a new single that is ready to be released. I also perform quite a few times a month in Austin and fans can go to the website to get the dates. I have a lot of exciting things happening soon!

Finally, is there one recent release that you have been listening to on repeat?

I like to pick specific songs that stand out to me instead of one album. Right now I really love “Blown Away” and “Something in the Water” from Carrie Underwood.

Welcome Bathany Becker to the world of music I can still remember whn I was a child about my favorite singer, he is Bob Dylan's Tangled Up in Blue. I was 20 years old, and I'd been swept off my feet by an older man, completely in love. He was a huge Dylan fan and we listened to that album, which had just come out, pretty much on a 24 hour cycle during our whirlwind first week of romance.
The man broke my heart three years later. The song remains a bittersweet reminder. I still love it. Him? Not so much!